The world's stage
by TankCommissar
Summary: This fanfic revolving around Raven's life before he joined the El gang.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 0 - Dad left; a flag returned home.

That was a rare day with prolonged daylight until noon, in the autumn. The wheat fields wavering lightly in the light breezes of wind, with some jackdaws suddenly swooping up and down inside the field. Across the path and on the left of such bountiful fields, there was a windmill rotating slowly, and the farmers and their donkeys occasionally going back and forth to unload their harvests or loading their wagon full of flour bags which was hired to grind at the mill before.

Farther left, there was a riverside plot of land surrounded by lines after lines of oaks which were coughing off their last batches of decayed leaves to prepare for the winter yet to be. This kind of weather was not quite suitable for outdoor activities, especially when some trainees were absent because of busy helping their families in harvesting, but Edan nevertheless insisted on pressing the class to keep on training right at that ground. He was going up and down the rows of trainees, some of whom not even trying to hide their disgruntled faces, who struggled to stand their ground against the strong gusts of wind, some even felt like they were about to surrender to the conditions… They had been in training since 7 o'clock in the morning, and hadn't even able to rest although it had been like 6 hours since then. Nevertheless no one had openly protesting it, yet…

_ Relax! You all have fifteen minutes to rest before we begin to practice stance twenty-one, book three…

Just when Edan thought those trainees had gotten used to obeying him unconditionally, some dissident voices finally interrupted his thoughts, worse still, the source of the voice of a troublemaker which he could easily tell even if far behind his back…

_ Stop it Edan, you're not Master Duncan, you can't overwork us… – said the man with a recognizable dark beard.

He stood straight, cross-handed and his wooden training sword being plugged into the ground, and the training claw hanging on the rope which was in turn tied to his belt. With a blink of his eyes, Edan who was clearly from the other end of the row was then present before him. He smirked before that show of skill, knowing that this time Edan had finally lost his tempers to his repeatedly provocations over the days.

_ So what are you suggesting, Bern? – Edan replied unexpectedly calm.

_ Your training is just too harsh, you can't expect the younglings to endure. Even I myself already felt tired from this – Bern snapped.

_ It has just been some hours… – Edan tried to recite it in the most trivia tone as possible.

_ Not just today, but yesterday, the day before and so forth!

_ Why can't we practice indoor, everyday you marched us to this ground to train, unless it was raining…

_ And the break time is just too scarce and far between…

This time the trainees begun to rebuke massively. Edan felt his effort to maintain the discipline and his authority was for naught. He looked at the few trainees who hadn't openly revolt yet, saw between them some long time aspirants and veterans, the ones who joined this school of martial art before him, many of whom having much higher ages than himself. Bern was among such veterans, and Edan kept having the feeling that because himself was hand-picked as the head and reprenstative of his martial art school by Master Duncan himself "until I return" – said Duncan, to all the apprentices before him, was why he had to deal with these people's cynical attitudes everyday, in one way or another.

That was already four months ago. Before Edan, the most senior and capable veteran was appointed whenever Master was absent. That veteran later went to join the army, so did the overwhelming majority of trainees who graduated from Kinaz school and bearing the promient title Swordmaster in history. Each decade, very few trainees actually graduated after achieving ninth level of proficiency of this school's martial art, if any. The vast majority had to strive for years without recognitions and fruitless labors, a few managed to achieve breakthroughs until a standard level of proficiency of five, then retiring from school because of more urgent needs, like the attrition rate from wars demanding the supply of able-bodied men, and the Kinaz martial arts, even fifth level, were coveted nationwide.

_ So it's all the more easier for me to become the target for such long time practitioners but who couldn't advance as rapidly as myself! – Edan thought bitterly. But he had no intention to back down.

His main method was using hardships to accelerate the advancement of men under his training, but they misunderstood him as if he simply wanted to make their lifes harder or something.

_ For once, be quiet and listen. You all know that we can't achieve the pinnacle of our Kinaz school without great sacrifices, from ourselves. The first Kinaz Master invented the Swordwind way from just one year of his seek for a way to help humanity surviving the great war. He had thrown himself to the most severe dangers as possible, to first, knowing that these dangers and sufferings in this world were not true, and only your cognition was the thing which ultimately existed. So what I wanted to teach you, through hardships, that these feelings and sufferings were not, in fact, true, and only at that point you could make real progress in comprehending our Kinaz way…

Edan's beautiful lecture was cut short by the sound of the hooves. A cavalry was galloping to the training ground. Edan headed to greet the cavalry, they exchanged something very urgently. Edan clenched his fists when the cavalry was done with delivering the news, slowly turning his back, and said:

_ Raven, you come with me. Everyone, dismiss…

On the way home, Edan kept silent the whole time, no matter how many times Raven asked him why, he never said anything until they had finally returned to Raven's home.

_ What are they doing at my home, Edan? – Raven asked, upon encountering the troopers standing guard in front of his cottage.

_ Get out, GET OUT! Don't you recognize Master Duncan's son? – Edan violently pushed away the troopers when they wanted to examine him and Raven. One man which looked like their leader turned his back and striding to in front of Raven and said:

_ Raven, I'm very sorry…

_ S-sir Cronwell? You are here too? Wh-why are you saying s-sorry to me?

Sir Cronwell heavily put one of his hand on Raven's shoulder, then slowly stepping aside. On the yard…the glorious flag of Velder Kingdom…and a long, wooden chest under it…

Raven was speechless. In a part of his consciousness, he knew it was inevitable, since the day his dad left to join Sir Cronwell's battlegroup, as his chief advisor and drill sergeant… He knew too well that if no one had the courage to step up, this war would soon engulf the whole nation and brought it to its knee…

Edan and Raven helped bringing the coffin to inside the home. There, having no stamina to endure anymore, and exhausted after a day long training, Raven stood down, leaning to the coffin and shedding tears on the flag. Edan finding a corner to stand and crying soundlessly, a single tear dropping down his skinny cheek.

"To think that just half a hour ago I taught people that all hardships and sufferings in this world were merely illusions…"– Edan thought to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 0.5 - What was left of our school.**

…After the burial of the last Kinaz Master, which was attended by all of the sorrowful practitioners who trained under Master Duncan, the issues started to take shapes. The practitioners began to whisper that they would never able to reach Kinaz ninth level without a full Master who tutoring them. Then there was also the successor issue. Duncan died before having the time to choose any successor. There was a rule of Kinaz school's way that if the Master died before appointing any successor then the temporary practitioner who was hand-picked when he was in absence would be the _de facto_ next Master.

But in the history of Kinaz school, there was no practitioner who succeed the Master through the second way without as least first mastered the ninth level of proficiency. Edan had just mastered the seventh level of proficiency, but that was already superior to all of the trainees who still studying at that time, and given the short period of time he had spent at this school compared to other trainees and veterans who still struggling at fifth and sixth level.

So some disgruntled veterans began to conspire to push Raven for next Master - who had just mastered the fourth level at that time. But since Raven was too heartbroken to even hearing out what they conveyed to him, they couldn't help but scheming to push one nominee of themselves, one sixth level veteran who was more than 30 years old at that time and having a great deal of prestige among the trainees.

_ No, the rule is absolute, we must follow our tradition! The Master just passed away and you already wanted to dishonor him by that maneuver of yours? – Edan said to the group of think-alike when they challenged him for next Kinaz Master mantle.

_ But brother Gate is very kind to us, and is also the practitioner who has been here for the longest amount of time… – Said one in the group.

_ And yet he's still here instead of having graduated. Pardon me, but that would be more like an argument against him than for his sake – Edan replied without hesitation.

Brother Gate decided to back down instead upon realizing that it wouldn't go any place. True to what he was advertised as - kind and loyal to the school's common cause, he never dreamed of donning the Kinaz Master's mantle to begin with. Neither the "usurpers" faction who wanted to find a replacement for Edan. They mainly wanted to oust Edan because not agreeing to his methods and principles more than because of their private ambitions.

_ Then what should we do without a full Master? You're just seventh level and only Kinaz Master in name… – One "usurper" began to speak out his mind.

_ It's not like I don't have anything to offer until you had reached seventh level like me. At this rate, by that time I may already have ascended to a higher level" – Edan assured them.

The next day he summoned all of the trainees to the school's hall to announce something. Only more than half of the trainees was assembled, including a reluctant Raven and most of the veterans. "This is not okay" – Edan thought and gulped, before starting his rhetoric:

_ I am very grateful because of your presence here, today. First let's spend five minute to mourn our former teacher – Master Duncan…

After five minutes had passed, he continued with a long paragraph about achievements of his predecessor, his loves for the practitioners under his study, his good traits…

_ So I saw some of you showing cynical discussions about the upcoming future of our school – Even when he was speaking these words, people had already begun to murmur and whispering after five minutes of mourning had passed. Ignoring them, Edan continued:

_ Truth is, everything you would need to know about Kinaz was written down in these scrolls from the First Master himself, which had been sealed in case any of his successor couldn't continue with teaching. So you only need to follow my guidance… – Edan put the ancient scrolls on the table.

Some of the trainees were half-convinced, but it also depending on whether the successor could ultimately aspiring to the ninth level or not. Suddenly the doors were violently slammed open from the outside, and there stood some tough-looking martial artists.

It couldn't be said that Edan hadn't been readied for this situation, but that awareness wouldn't make the scene of the equally famous and respected rival school of Kinaz presence there to be less of a sore to the eyes.

This "rival" school was around the same time when Kinaz School was first established. They cooperated very well in the struggles against the rebellion. Later the eighth Kinaz Master killed the eleventh Master of that rival school in a duel to the death. That left such school reeling and could only manage to recover after 51 years. The School never forgot that fued, and one hundred years later many of them still wanted to exact revenge on Kinaz School to compensate for their losses of one of their greatest Master of the time and people still evaluated Kinaz School as greater than their own school's feats since…  
So from that day onward, Edan had to fight one-on-one with the practitioners from such rival school everyday because they kept coming to Kinaz School to challenge him. First they sent just the average practitioner to had his strength and weakness gauged, and also it would tenfold the humiliating if even an average practitioner could defeat the Kinaz Master. Then they kept sending stronger and stronger opponents…

In the seventh day, after Edan having beaten six practitioners sent against him, the rival school sent the real deal: Valak. He was the strongest in the latest batch of practitioners which the school could muster at that time - it's worth noting that not every member of that school's top brass agreed with this vindictive agenda, and some stronger members of above School refused to join them in this "punitive" campaign.

_ I'm too exhausted to comment in this affair, let's settle this as quickly as possible" – Said Edan while gritting his teeth.

Valak simply nodded in acknowledgment, then suddenly plunged straight forward. Edan narrowly stepped aside to mitigate the force Valak initially delivered, then stepped back multiple paces to relief himself from the monstrous shock Valak just brought. Valak clearly allowing Edan several moments to catch his breaths, then struck again, this time with a calculated blade strike. Edan used his blade to parry again, then delivered an uppercut with his talons on his left hand.

Valak arched his head backward to dodge that fatal strike, then proceeded to jump backward to wait for a better chance and stance for his upcoming attacks. Edan clearly knew that at this rate his stamina would run out given that Valak continued to go on another offensive and struck him again, so this time he propelled to strike when he had already seized the initiative from last time. Edan performed the movement technique that allowed him to move unbelievably fast. Valak only saw a blurry image of his opponent, like a ghost, could only raising his blade to parry whatever attack would come from that technique. The attack was parried successfully, partly thanks to the intels from past opponents beaten down by that technique before.

Edan's attack was parried, though the momentum's trajectory from that thrust sent him far from where Valak was standing. He felt increasingly panicked from that. Valak engaging rapidly to slash at the completely defenseless back, an opening Edan left when he failed to deliver the killing blow to him. But this situation was anticipated by Edan, he still retained enough stamina to perform that ghost-like movement technique again had his initial attack attempt failed. Edan again turned into a blurry afterimage to the viewer…

Failing in his offensive attempt and he knew that he wouldn't be able to defense himself had Valak decided to hammer him with his monstrous attack force again. But Valak strangely didn't take his time, and proceeding to Edan very slowly, allowing his opponent to take his breaths again. Edan decided that he couldn't afford to parry or dodge any upcoming onslaught of Valak, so he could only go on the offensive again. Edan threw a last ditch effort.

He jumped very high, diving down at Valak from above, his claws aiming to grab Valak at his right shoulder. Valak looked up, and Edan thought he saw as if Valak just blink with him or something, which didn't make any senses to him at that moment. Dismissing that details from aside, he grabbed Valak's right shoulder, the snatch effectively severed the shoulder armor of Valak, it didn't leave very severe wound, but enough to make him feeling hurt enough to let go of the blade in his right hand. With his opponent disarmed, Edan used gravity momentum to slash down at Valak from above, using the blunt edge of his blade.  
Valak was knocked away, disarmed and clearly losing that match. Edan stepped forward to ask his opponent for submitting to the lost. After Valak submitted, Edan holstered his blade and giving Valak the right hand to help him standing up. Valak grabbed that hand, and secretly passing down something to Edan when he was being helped to stand up…

That night when Edan was alone, he unwrapped the secret message from Valak. Turned out that was a letter with strange grammar syntax:

 _"This is Valak. DON'T tell anyone about this. After the past 6 days you have proven your unbroken Kinaz fighting spirit. The higher echelons found that Master's revengeful motivation was wrong and unfair. He sent 6 of his closest apprentices to test and cataloguing every skill you carried out against them. The Master had already learned_ _all_ _most of the moves you were able to perform, your attack patterns. I would be the last opponent to test you out, but the Master would go against the decision of the council and he himself would going to cross sword with you tomorrow, had I lost. I was ashamed because of the_ _coward_ _lowly tactics my Master carried out against your school, I only wanted a fair duel. But since you was near exhausted after 6 consecutive days of fighting and it shown, I would_ _allowing you t_ _feign losing so that this campaign would end. But if the Master decided to break the rule and showing up anyway, we would vote to oust him of his position in our school had he decided to fight you tomorrow nevertheless.  
Ps:_ _hey_ _let's have a rematch another day, when we have already mastered the best our schools have to offer."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 0.8 - Chivalry is dead.**

_ Sir Cronwell, my Lord Protector, please tell me what you know about how my dad fell in battle. – Begged Raven when Cronwell visited him after the burial.

_ That was not a battle, my lad. That was more of… a massacre – Cronwell frowned slightly – a mistake I will never forget.

_ I was traveling with my bodyguards and retinues, your father was among them, to the forward base where the majority of my troops were encamping. Alas, I knew it would be always dangerous to travel in a small group like that, but so far my pathfinders said that the place was secured the last time they checked. But their "last time" was already more than a week before. I just wanted to reunite with my men faster so we would hasten the defeat of our enemies. And… you know, I also got a little… prideful after winning a sound victory against my foes, I had an illusion of invincibility for a brief period of time. My advise: if later you led an army, don't let victories going to your head. No one winning forever, even the fabled Noah… – Cronwell said while illustrating his points, making use of gestures.

Only years later Raven would truly understand all of the things Cronwell conveyed that day, by now he just wondered why this noble kept ranting the irrelevant things.

_ But sir, my dad… - Raven reminded him.

_ Ah yes, yes I forgot. To put it simply: we were ambushed. Turned out that enemies I defeated and routed earlier still managed to regroup and they decided to backstab me like the cowards they are! So… we were assailed by some two hundreds enemy troops, while there were only twenty eight heads of us. Duncan told me to quickly swap my general armor and helmet with him, then riding my horse, wavering the Lord Protector standard, led my bodyguards and attracted the enemies to him and goading them far way from me. Then I… retreated to the safe zone to call for reinforcements – Cronwell continued with an increasingly daunting face.

_ When I was back with my reinforcements, I beset the whole forest, but they were not there anymore. Then the day after, they sent a messenger to ask if I agreed for a ransom of my men who they caught before. I agreed. So I paid for the ransom, and a handful of my returned bodyguards told me Duncan's last moments. He challenged the enemy's leader for a duel. Their leader's champion stepped up to fight for his liege's sake instead. Duncan cut the man to bloody ribbons, but upon dying that champion recognized Duncan's Kinaz techniques and shouted to his men that the one who they were fighting was not me, Cronwell. The enemy's commander shouted "I am not honour-bound to thou challenge, thou art not of nobility", then pulling his dogs back and ordered bowmen to rain arrows down upon Duncan and the surviving bodyguards. For all we know, Duncan never yield to buy me time for my retreat… - Cronwell fetched a long sigh.

_ Sir, you're telling me that my father was even denied a honourable death? – Raven finally bursting into fiery anger.

"Clank!" – The blade was knocked out of Edan's hand effortlessly. True to what Valak mentioned in the letter, none of Edan's trump cards worked against the vengeful Kinaz's rival Master. And he was truly exhausted, for having to fight for a consecutively 8 days against 8 different opponents, the last one he knew that even if he was at his full stamina, in the long run he would still lose to anyway. His mind was also bombarded with stressful images and thoughts over the days.

"Still, I had one last wild card" – Edan thinking while quickly grabbing another set of claw, putting it on his right hand - "That's right, the second Kinaz Master used his dual wielding set of claws while tearing the core out of one of the robot's remnant commander's at one of their last pockets of resistance".

Edan charged at his opponent bravely while shouting. The rival Master was surprised because he overrated Kinaz's swordplay while overlooked their other fighting techniques employing the claws. Edan clawing with wild abandon, tearing bits and parts of the Master's clothes and even the stench smell of blood had begun to to linger on the air...

_ This ends here! – The rival Master strongly shouted, then stood his ground firmly and performed a titanic shoulder charge to send Edan flying…

The rival Master examined Edan's to ensure he was unconscious, and spoke to him, face to face.

_ I want you to know that I have no regret for this. If I had another chance to choose, I would do this all over again… - He bitterly said.

Sounds of footsteps of someone fast approaching.

_ Have you done enough? Brother, I'm here to hereby announce that since this moment, you're expelled from our school, forever, and you are not allowed to take any apprentice in the future…

The ex-Master simply replied without looking back.

_ Understood.

He took off his Master mantle to give to the messenger, then walking toward the horizon, never glancing back even once…

Edan had been unconscious for one week. When woke up, he announced the disbandment of Kinaz School, and retiring from Kinaz Master's post. He said he wasn't qualified. Edan also announced the trainees that they were free to go as they will. He vowed that anyone who would become the first among them to reach Kinaz ninth level, and still loyal to its causes, would automatically be next Kinaz Master, and Kinaz School would resurrect from the ashes.

The Kinaz School trainees scattered, everyone going on their own route. Edan left with some veterans to continue pursuing the training to reach the pinnacle of Kinaz's teachings. Gate and Raven, each was tasked with a copy of scrolls containing all of the teachings from the first Master, which Edan manually copied by handwriting before, done on the span of time of seven days in which he was trialed by the rival school. On the day he fought, at night he stayed awaken to do that task and hadn't slept in the whole time…

Not long after Raven was officially adopted by general Cronwell. He left his father's cottage and swear to himself he would strive to be the next Kinaz Master like his father who used to be, in case everyone else failed to…


End file.
